Morphe Brushes | 35O Natural Glow Palette

Over the last two or three months I have acquired not one or two but FOUR Morphe eyeshadow palettes. And yes this includes the very popular and sought after Jaclyn Hill Favorites palette (cue gasps). If you are into makeup in any way shape or form then chances are you have already heard all about the 35O palette. Every beauty blogger, Youtuber and their cousin has been talking about this palette. I love a neutral palette but it didn't really catch my eye until Jaclyn Hill started snapping about it. Listen when the Queen of Youtube tells you that you need something you do not argue you simply hand over your money.

This palette is one of those that seem to go out of stock even before it is restocked, Morphe has released quite a few on pre sales but they seem to be selling out almost instantly. I have heard however that it is going to be part of the permanent stock, so if you don't get it with part of these pre sales you can rest assured that you will get your hands on it at some point in time.

PACKAGING I am always a sucker for pretty packaging. The packaging of the Morphe eyeshadow palettes however are pretty basic. They come in a black plastic casing and even the pan that the actual eyeshadows are seated in is a flimsy soft plastic pan. It does not have a mirror on the inside, which is a bit of a let down because I cant help but think with the size of the lid how awesome it would be to have a decent size mirror in there. But when you see the size of the actual palette, the amount of eyeshadows you get and the quality of each shadow and then compare this with the price I can fully understand why they didn't put that much effort into the actual packaging. I have actually come to love the packaging though because its some what of a trade mark and its very quickly recognizable.

PRICE The palette retails for $22.99 USD on the Morphe website, this is before shipping (if you did the math this works out to about 65c per shadow) I picked it up in South Africa for R550,00 also before shipping (this worked out to about R15.72 per shadow). So logically if Morphe did spend more time and money on making the packaging less basic they would be charging us allot more for this palette. If you look at it that way I am more than happy with it and would urge Morphe to not change a thing. 

PRODUCT Each palette comes with 35 neutral to warm shadows (the Jaclyn Hill palette only came with 27 WHATS THE DEAL THERE MORPHE). There are 21 matte shades and 14 shimmer/metallic shades. The colors range from a really light bone cream, glittery champagne, light and deep orange to both light and dark browns. There is a wide range of transition shades, crease shades and all over lid shades. Ive personally found that the darker shades have quite allot of fall out so its best to do your eyes before the rest of your face. And the shimmer/metallic shades I've found it easier to use a makeup mixing spray to apply the true color otherwise its allot more on the sheer side. 

PRODUCT FORMULA You know the saying "You get what you paid for" and when it comes to makeup this saying almost all of the time is 100% true. I've found myself so many times so disappointed by something and I almost always end up saying "Yeah but for the price I guess its pretty good". Well when it comes to the Morphe eyeshadows I can honestly say that you get way more than you paid for. The matte shades are really easy to apply, blend out and build up, like I said there is a bit of fall out but I personally think most eyeshadows have that amount of fall out (on me anyway). The shimmer/metallic colors swatch really well with your finger but this doesn't transfer to the lid really well, unless you are using a makeup mixing spray like MAC's fix plus. It then shows the true color of the shadows pretty well. I have a few palettes from different brands (Urban decay, Stila, Chanel) and I honestly prefer my Morphe palettes above them all. The shadows are really creamy and easy to apply and they wear really well. They are also really pigmented. I have oily eye lids and most of my other eye shadows by the end of the day have completely worn off. The Morphe ones I physically have to remove, and I have also found that they actually look better by the end of the day after it has settled on to my skin. 

With regards to the fall out and the shimmer/metallic shades not applying really well, I have found that it also depends on the brush you are using. It is true, the better the tool the better the application so I can say you need to take that into consideration as well. 

Have you tried any of the Morphe eyeshadows? What do you think of them and which palettes would you recommend? Let me know...

LUSH | Angels On Bare Skin | Face & Body Cleanser

My skin does not discriminate when it comes to facial cleansers! I have a R30,00 cleanser from Sorbet and a R600,00 cleanser from Chanel, both make my skin look like a 13 year old teenager going through puberty. If you have at any point experience those big painful bumps when you use something new or that doesn't agree with your skin then you will know exactly how I feel. When I find something that I think works I will not try or touch another because I am just to scared of the reaction I could potentially have. 

Quite some time ago a friend of mine gifted me a little tub of the Lush Angels on Bare skin face and body cleanser. I put it in my drawer and forgot about it because for me (I'm guessing this was the same for her that's why she passed it on) it was just to intimidating. It had little pieces of what I can only describe as twigs in it and was so messy that I just didn't know how or where to use it. That was until a couple of months ago when my skin broke out everywhere even in my neck, I got so depressed that I stopped using everything I currently was using even my moisturizers and makeup to try and find the cause of the problem. It lasted about 3 or 4 months until I decided I had had enough and took a completely different approach. I started drinking fruit infused water to detox my system and started seeing results right away, I then started looking for a natural face wash that did not contain any harsh chemicals because I just wanted a different approach to solving the problem. After some research I came across the Angels on bare skin which people were absolutely obsessed with and decided that I needed it in my life, only to find out that I had already had it for the past few months (shame on me for not using something before I bought more haha). I haven't put it down since then. 

Some of the ingredients in Angels on Bare skin are ground almonds, lavender oil, rose absolute, chamomile blue oil and lavender flowers. The Rose oil acts as a toner while the lavender oil smooths out the surface of the skin. The scent is very natural to me like a wet forest smell, you pick up allot of the ground up flowers and fresh lavender but not in a "I want to bath myself it in" kind of way more like your in a all natural chemist kinda way. It is not totally unpleasant though or over whelming and once you add water you don't even smell it that much any more. All the ingredients are natural thus cutting down the shelf life of this product making it impossible to stock up on. A 100g tub sells for R145,00 and because you only use a pea or two size pinch at a time it lasts about 3 months. It does not remove makeup and I do use a makeup remover before I cleans my face with it. It does however mildly exfoliate the skin and help bring out the natural glow. It helped control the surface break outs I experienced and reduce the inflammation of the severe acne I had and softened the redness I would experience from them while controlling additional ones from forming. I found it best to use in the shower because it really does create quite a mess. You need to take a pinch in your hand with some water and create a paste, then use it like any other cleanser in circular motions on your skin and rinse off. 

Lush website: Angelic, medieval cleansing wash with rose and lavender. Angels on Bare Skin is the Lush version of an expensive medieval skincare recipe. Rare, precious essential oils were first brought to Europe by the crusaders who encountered Arabian medicine. The church immediately banned them because their ability to alter states of mind was considered the devils work! But the final result was Cosmetics 1, Church 0. Rose oil and Lavender oil were discovered to do wonderful things for the skin, too. Almost a thousand years later, you'd be hard pressed to find a better all round cleanser and exfoliator than Angels.

Some of you might be asking though how I know it is this that helped with my break outs but I know it did. I ran out about a week ago and started using of my old ones again and I immediately started breaking out. I went and repurchased this right away and now its calming down again. So yes I would highly recommend you give this cleanser a try it has become my holy grail!

It's Almost My Birthday | Wish List

I cant believe this year has gone by so fast and that its almost Christmas already!! Before that however is my birthday YAY ME. I thought I would share some of the items I have been wishing for, I think its the first year my list has been so short but I can say its been a good year so far makeup wise! What is on your list let me know down below.

Kat Von D | Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita

Have you ever bought a cult product and right off the bat you instinctively know that you are going to be that one in a million that is going to hate it. Before you have even had a chance to try it you have already crucified it in your head for spending so much on it but you must know what all the fuss is about and that FOMO is eating you up inside. Then you take it out the packaging and rather unimpressively try it so that you can put reason to your hating. And from the second it touches your lips you hear angels singing and you get it you really really get it. And now your sitting there wondering why you held out for so long and now it's to late to get a back up because they are all sold out again for the twentieth time and now you hate it even more for making you love it so much. No? Is that just me? Well then...

After doing some research I believe the one I currently have is the third formulation. If you are not aware of the whole drama around the Lolita formulations and how they are ever changing ill fill you in. Depending on when you purchased yours you might have either gotten the first batch which was the original and a lighter more chest nut version. The second batch which I believe was dubbed the bad batch which was a much darker dusty rose which quite honestly in my opinion looked like the most gorgeous colour ever and I wish mine was that shade. And then the current batch which is a little darker than the first but lighter than the second, more of a medium to dark dusty rose. Kat has announced though that they will be bringing back the original as Lolita two. 

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita $20,00 is described as a chestnut rose. It is a medium to dark dusty rose with medium to warm undertones and a flat matte finish. It has full opaque colour coverage and the intensity of the colour can easily be built up in layers. The application is very smooth and creamy and it sets to a flat matte and completely dry around two minutes after application. It has a really lightweight comfortable texture that doesn't settle into the lines once dry. It also doesn't crack when you smile or look and feel overly drying. I have only ever worn it for around 4 hours max and then I remove and reapply, I find it more comfortable than reapplying over the current/older layer and this way it stays comfortable through out and doesn't turn out to drying on the lips. The best application is also to add a thin layer of lip balm underneath so that it stays moisturized through out.

The everlasting liquid lipstick is a full coverage long wearing liquid lipstick with a smooth flat matte finish. I've only tried a hand full of liquid lipsticks and the Kat Von D formula is my favorite, it is the creamiest, applies the smoothest and is the most comfortable wear through out. I have only ever tried Lolita so I cannot speak for the other shades though. Their wearing time is said to be anywhere from 6 to 10 hours depending on what you have to eat or drink but like I said I prefer to cut it off at 3 to 4 hours so I have not really gotten to the point where it is overly drying on the lips. 

The formulation is really thin and creamy but not overly watery and the doe foot applicator makes it really easy and comfortable for precise application. I've heard allot of people complain about the packaging and that it looks cheap but I have to say that I love the detail and the feel of it and I don't quite get it. The only complaint that I have is that I would rather prefer the tube being shorter and fatter because the applicator is quite long (I understand this is to reach the product at the bottom of the tube) it sometimes makes it a bit uncomfortable to apply, I can only imagine that if it was shorter it would feel more comfortable in your hand making application easier. 

What version of Lolita did you pick up do you like me think the second batch is a pretty unique shade all on its own and that it should stay around let me know in the comments section below.

M.A.C | The Matte Lip Collection Summer 2015

A couple of weeks ago MAC released their The Matte Lip Collection for Summer 2015 (depending on what side of the hemisphere you are on you might have gotten it in Winter like us). There are 22 pieces in the collection but not all of them are new shades, in fact some of them are currently available as part of the permanent line and are being re-promoted. The shades being re-promoted are All fired up, Flat out Fabulous, Heroine, Kinda Sexy, Pink Pigeon, Please Me, Ruby Woo and Velvet Teddy. Having said that, the better part of the collection however does consist mostly of new shades. You might also recognise some familiar names like Stone and Whirl and that is because they have cousins in MAC's lip pencil line. If you are fans of either of those two shades don't worry because allot of these shades are going to be added to the permanent line.

• All Fired Up - bright fuchsia (Retro Matte) re-promote 
• Antique Velvet - intense brown (Matte) 
• Dangerous - Orangey re (Retro Matte)
• D for Danger - Brick Red (Matte) 
• Flat out Fabulous - Bright Plum (Retro Matte) re-promote
• Heroine - Bright purple (Matte) re-promote
• Instigator - Deep blackened plum (Matte) 
• Kinda Sexy - Neutral Pinky Rose (Matte) re-promote
• Matte Royal - Deep blue (Matte) 
• Men Love Mystery - Lavender violet (Matte) 
• Naturally Transformed - Muted Golden Beige (Matte) 
• Please Me - Muted rose tinted pink (Matte) re-promote
• Persistence - Peachy cinnamon (Matte) 
• Pink Pigeon - Bright cleanest pink (Matte) re-promote
• Ruby Woo - Vivid blue red (Retro Matte) re-promote
• Runway Hit - Light nude (Retro Matte)
• Steady Going - Light Pink (Retro Matte)
• Stone - Muted greyish taupe brown (Matte) 
• Studded Kiss - Dark Oxblood red (Matte)
• Tropic Tonic - Full power coral (Matte) 
• Velvet Teddy - Deep toned beige (Matte) re-promote
• Whirl - Dirty Rose (Matte) 

When the collection was launched I immediately like always gravitated towards the nude brownish shades and picked up Whirl, Stone and Persistence. I also have Velvet teddy but this I picked up some time ago (because it is a re-promote and is part of this collection I have added it in this post). If you are one of those people however that the whole 90's look just does not do it for you then don't worry because the range is quite versatile. It ranges from light and bright pinks to bright red, brown, deep plum and even a bright royal blue, so there is something for every one.

From left: Whirl, Persistence, Stone, Velvet Teddy

The entire collection comes in a matte finish (if that wasn't obvious by the name alone) meaning that it has a flat finish with very little to no shine at all. Having said that they don't all have the same finish and that is because more than half of the collection comes out in the matte finish while the other half has the retro matte finish. The retro matte finish are flatter and more drying on the lips than their regular matte counter parts. The collection is not technically a limited edition in the traditional sense because it does not come out in limited edition packaging and the shades are not limited edition either as it is either part of the permanent line or it is being add to it.

From left: Whirl, Persistence, Stone, Velvet Teddy

MAC Stone Lipstick (R210,00) described as a muted greyish taupe brown. It is a subdued medium to dark taupe brown with warm greyish undertones. It has a velvety cream consistency with full opaque colour coverage. It is smooth and creamy and applies effortlessly, it has a satin to matte finish and dries flat matte after around two hours of wear.

MAC Persistence (R210,00) described as a peachy cinnamon. It is a medium brown with very warm reddish orange undertones. It has a almost satin matte finish which dries to a solid flat matte after around two hours of wear. Colour coverage is completely opaque and application is the easiest out of the four with a very creamy velvety consistency. It is allot more red than Whirl and allot darker than Velvet Teddy.

MAC Whirl (R210,00) described as a dirty rose. It is some where between a medium to dark rosy brown with mauve undertones. It has a light smooth creamy texture with full colour coverage and applies evenly with out effort. It lasted a full 4 hours and wore off evenly (You can read my full review here).

MAC Velvet Teddy (R210,00) described as a deep-tone beige. It is a medium rosy beige with hints of brown, rosy pink and warm undertones. It has a smooth creamy texture with a very comfortable satin feel. It has full colour coverage with a flat matte finish that applied smoothly with out tugging. It lasted a good 2 to 3 hours on (You can read my full review here).

The Test Box | September Box Unboxing

I received the September Testbox a couple of days ago and wanted to share an unboxing with you all. This months box consists of two hair care products and one body product (something which is new to the test box) lets jump into it...

Scruff Coffee Scrub 180g R145,00, this body scrub is actually made in Cape Town. It is a natural exfoliator and cleanser designed to deeply hydrate and condition the skin with its powerful antioxidants. It is said to be safe to use on sensitive skin and suitable for use on both the face and body. It is made with real coffee and the smell is amazing, but some how reminds me of what is left over in your coffee machine after a couple of cups.

Directions for use: Apply directly to wet skin and leave for a few minutes to allow the skin to absorb, rinse and repeat one to three times a week.

Joico Smooth Cure Shampoo 300ml R220,00 and Joico Smooth Cure Conditioner 300ml R230,00 is for curly/frizzy/coarse hair. It is a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner designed to help reduce frizz leaving hair softer and more manageable. It helps create a smooth surface that helps prevent damage that is caused from styling and thermal mechanical tools as well as everyday environmental factors.  

I really want to try the Joice Smooth Cure Thermal Protecting Spray 150ml R180,00 if it smells anything like the shampoo and conditioner I want to drench my entire body in it.

You can pick up this months Testbox for R160,00 here

MAC Matte Lipstick in Whirl | Bringing The 90's Back

There are so many things about the 90's that I think we all wish we could forget! Fanny packs,  pump up Reebok's, butterfly clips (thanks for nothing Buffy), scrunchies, starter jackets, chain wallets, soul patches, crimped hair, over plucked eyebrows (I could keep going forever). Then there are some things we will never forget. Mark Wahlberg being Marky Mark, Disney Channel actually playing cartoons, playing Super Mario on a old school Nintendo, knowing exactly how to finishing singing "who you going to call", slip n slides, Britney Spears singing Baby one More Time and of course the macarena!! There are things however that have made a major come back and in a good way. Doc Martens, neon's, high wasted jeans, crop tops, leather biker jackets and then there is the most talked about craze the (air quotes) "Kylie Jenner Lip".

Pretty much the perfect pair! 👭 I can't bring myself to using them just yet 💁🏼 #macewhirl 💋 #macwhirllipstick 💄 #bblogger #bbloggers #beautyblogger #beautybloggers #makeupblogger #maclipstick #lipstick #makeup #makeupcollection #southafricanblogger #capetownblogger #onfleek #kyliejenner #mac

A photo posted by Alice Fick (@lipgloss_is_my_drug) on Aug 20, 2015 at 4:09am PDT

If Kim Kardashian is "the body" in the family and Kendall Jenner is "the legs" Kloe Kardashian is "the mouth" then Kylie Jenner is definitely "the lips" her (claimed to be) overdrawn lips and plumped up pout has received more attention than Kim's marriage to Kris and her sex tap with Ray J combined. Kylie has never actually come out and revealed what the actual colour is that she uses and I think the fact that she has announced the launch of her own lip kit might have something to do with it. Which is well played on her side because she has created quite a big hype and demand for it now. There has been speculation though as to what they are and two MAC lip liners have been named, both of which have sold out world wide and created quite a shortage. The one is said to be Spice which is a matte brown with red undertones and the other is Whirl which is also a matte with Mauve undertones.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Whirl R210 - MAC Matte Lip liner in Whirl R190

Although Whirl lip liner has been around for ages it has been such a cult product and so hard to get that I was actually beginning to think it didn't exist. Then a couple of weeks ago when MAC released their Matte lip collection with 12 new shades added, I think everyone was both shocked and excited that Whirl was part of the line up. After a bit of hunting I was lucky enough to track down both the liner and lipstick. Whirl is described as a dirty rose with a matte finish, it is a medium dark rosy brown with warm undertones and a very matte finish. I don't know if I am the only person but I do not find MAC's matte lipsticks to be drying at all (that is if you use a good moisturising lip balm regularly). I think it is one of the most comfortable formulas. Whirl is very light and creamy and applies very smoothly. It has full colour coverage and doesn't tug when applying.

Now to the question I think everyone is asking, is the lipstick an exact dupe for the lip liner? The answer is a definite YES. The lipstick is allot creamier and easier to apply but once applied you cannot tell the difference. What people need to know and understand though is whirl like most nude shades look different on everyone. On my skin tone it leaned allot more to the brown/red side and on me I feel looks like a darker version of velvet teddy. On my skin tone Twig on the other hand I feel looks allot closer to the Kylie Jenner colour but with regards to MAC getting the lip liner and lipstick to match there they were spot on!

Every MAC counter I called was sold out but the online store still has stock, if you aren't able to get it this time round it isn't the end of the world because I have heard that it is going to be made a permanent shade!

Have you gotten both products yet let me know how you feel about them in the comments section below.

My Favourite YouTube Beauty Vloggers

I love finding new beauty blogs or YouTube channels and I've see quite a few posts now of people sharing their top 5 and I thought I would jump on the bandwagon! I don't think people quite understand how big the beauty world has become and the impact a hand full of ladies actually have both in selling products and just helping people feel better about themselves all while creating an obsession we all share for makeup. I love watching not only tutorials but also to see whats new and trending and stuff we might not actually know is out there. I get so many questions asking why I need so much makeup and I don't feel like I need to justify anything or how much I pay for stuff. Everyone has hobbies and makeup is mine, I feel like Youtube and blogs are my escape where I can relate to people that have the same passion and obsession and they just understand even though we have never actually met. Here is a list of my top 5 that I am absolutely loving at the moment.

1. Jaclyn Hill

In my opinion the Queen B on YouTube! I remember watching Jaclyn when she sat in her kitchen or in front of her sofa, now she is one of the biggest YouTube beauty bloggers out there. Really making a name for herself she has collaborated with Morphe brushes bringing us the sold out Jaclyn Hill Favourites Palette as well as I believe, a soon to be favourites brush collection. There was also some lip products with Gerard Cosmetics (which she is no longer affiliated with and all branding has been removed, but her colors are two matte lipsticks called 1995 and buttercup and two lipglosses called butter cream and Rose hill) She has also recently collaborated with Becca cosmetics and made a hightlighter called Champagne Pop and if rumors are true there will be a second product released later this year (lets hope there will be some limited edition packaging this time!!) She also has her own cosmetic line coming out which I cannot wait for lets hope they ship world wide. This girl is really going places and I have to say I am still totally obsessed with her. I would probably buy anything she puts her name on, Oh and in case your wondering she is really really good at makeup tutorials also haha

2. Lusterlux

Katy is one of the most real YouTubers out there, I feel like I could really relate to her. She does some amazing looks that are really doable for the average Joe to copy. I love watching her beauty hauls as well. Her snap chats are so funny and some are really pointless but I just have to watch it all! I feel like her and Desi Perkins are twins and honestly I love them both equally.

3. Desi Perkins 

I feel like if I saw Desi on the street I would run in the opposite direction, she comes off really mean and hard core but when you watch her and Katies snaps you just cant get enough of them. She is starting a second YouTube channel just for vlogging her life and I honestly cannot wait for it to start. This girl is just perfection in every way and I have a major girl crush. I don't know how she gets her makeup that perfect but this girls contour is life goals of mine! 

4. Nicole Guerriero 

Nicole has some major skill when it comes to makeup and hair. I have watched so many of her videos and her Halloween ones are perfection. She can be so perfect yet so ghetto all at the same time. She does allot of personal vlogging and has only recently made her snap chat public so you get some more behind the scenes of her life. She has also started her own skin care line called Best damn beauty. 

5. Casey Holmes

Casey is that sweet all American girl that you cant not love. She does some amazing looks and her hair is always perfection. I also love watching her haul videos because she is really honest and has some great taste in music as well. She has another personal vlogging channel as well which is more about her life and what she gets up to some more interesting viewing.

Let me know what YouTube channels you love watching and if there are some I should be watching?

Babor Basic Care | Lip Repair Balm

I don't think it would come as a surprise to anyone if I said that I was a huge lip product person. If I attend an event or even if a new collection is launched, the first thing I always look for is the new lip products. Its my one weakness that has left me with a ton of products that the only thing they have going for them is pretty packaging. Nevertheless I am still a sucker and no matter what I will still try a new one the minute it comes out. A couple of weeks ago I attended a BABOR event at the One & Only hotel and part of the gift bags was their Basic Care Lip Repair Balm.

The packaging is a very basic lipstick or lip balm tube but some how looks and feels allot more chic with the silver beneath the hard clear casing. The casing is allot thicker and better quality and the lid fits quite firmly on so there is no worries of it coming undone in your bag. The actual balm has a sweet vanilla scent which isn't over powering and actually quite pleasant to use. In the winter my lips become allot more sensitive and dry and even though I know its a bad habit, I find myself licking them allot more which only leaves them more sensitive and dry. When my lips get so dry there is very little that lip balm can actually do for me as I feel like I get this layer of dry skin that doesn't allow any product to penetrate it and actually help my lips. The BABOR lip balm however soaks into my lips immediately taking that burning sensation away softening the dry layer and immediately soothes my irritated lips. It also does not leave that oily layer behind that you sometimes get from lip balms.

Some of its ingredients is Argan oil which effectively helps regenerate the lipid layer of the skin, Shea butter which helps to supply and bind moisture. Avocado, soja, sesame and olive oil which helps nourish and soften the lips leaving it allot more supple.

The lip balm retails for R154,00 on BABOR.com which may seem excessive and allot more expensive than regular drug store lip balms, but it has some really great ingredients that targets allot more than regular lip balms.

As an added bonus if you sign up for the newsletter you will get 15% off you next online purchase.